Neledh || ONC 2023

Chapter 5 | Tiffany

TW: character death

Nine was a good student, though she possessed no magic, she was more than smart enough to be an excellent healer without it. Though it did complicate some matters, as Tiffany could hardly use her own magic in company of her.

She had come of age two years ago and was still living with Tiffany. Nine had said on more than one occasion she wouldn't marry and leave Tiffany alone, but Tiffany knew better.

Maybe Nine wouldn't leave her on her own violation, then the world would decide for her.

-

"Miss! Please come, my mother has gone into labour and the midwife says something is wrong!"

Nine had opened the door to let the young boy in and had collected their bag of supplies, before Tiffany had managed to stand up. Her once agile body was getting old and seldom did she leave the house without a walking cane.

She was getting old, and though her body seldom looked like it, her hair was still as black as ebony as when she had been young. Her mind knew better than push her body past its breaking point.

No need to run when there is someone capable faster.

"Lead the way, Tiffany will follow behind us."

Nine was out and gone, before Tiffany could warn her. She had the mind of a witch and was a far better person than Tiffany could ever dream to be.

She would never think that the lord who called for them might be setting them up for failure.

Toulouse was in disorder, a council was called to life to prosecute certain Christian groups. The Dominicans would rummage the villages in search of forbidden texts. And though no one had said anything about witches, Tiffany feared their life in relative safety was coming to an end.

Nine and her were outsiders and though the village often called them for help, there was a certain fear against them. Unmarried women with an unusual appearance who were healers, it would take only one person dying under their care for the tide to turn.

-

The girl was never going to make it. The midwife knew it, the noble knew it, Nine knew it, even the girl herself had no illusions over her survival.

They just needed a scapegoat.

The Dominicans were supposed to arrive yesterday, and until now they hadn't left a village unscathed. There was a small community of Cathars, the noble who had called them being one of them.

A witch trial would avert the attention from them, the women who would die for them unimportant.

Tiffany was packing her possessions before Nine had washed the blood off her hands.

"Your clothes, food, and medicine. If you walk north and pass the border of the county you'll be safe."

It wasn't much, but hopefully it would be enough for Nine to build up a life once more.

"What- What are you talking about? We're not leaving!"

Nine pulled the bag out of Tiffany's hands and put it on the table.

"Indeed, you are. I'm staying here to make sure they won't go after you."

Completely ignoring whatever arguments Nine might have, did Tiffany pick the bag back up and pushed it into Nine's arms.

"Tomorrow morning they will be standing in front of our home and demand our heads. I'm old they will barely take a decade of my life, but you-"

Tiffany brushed the hair out of Nine's face while gently pulling her along to the outskirts of the town.

"You're young, you have your whole life still in front of you. Don't let an old soul like me pull you down. Find a new place, help people with your knowledge and pass it down to the next generation."

The stars shone bright as the lights of the town behind them disappeared. This was where she would say goodbye.

"I'll stay here and make sure they won't go after you, but you have to leave now or otherwise it will be too late."

Nine left as tears flowed over her cheeks, she didn't look back as the darkness engulfed her figure, letting her disappear in the night.

Tiffany wanted to follow her. Wanted to follow the call of her soul begging her to move, run, flee. To take another shot at finding her soulbond, they were close, she could feel it as she had many times before. And just like she had done since that day in Rouen when she knew all hope was lost, did she turned away and ignored it.

The walk back to the house was lonely, but Tiffany rejoiced in the fact that her last act would be one of humanity. At least one last person would survive and live their life to the fullest.

-

The trial didn't take long, no that was an understatement. They took more time to search the home and burn it, than they did looking for facts.

A scapegoat was what they needed and exactly what they wouldn't get.

Tiffany might be willing to die for Nine on this day, might even do it for the innocent people that would otherwise be prosecuted.

She would not do it for the noble who had a smug smile on his face as she was led to the river.

She would not do it for the priest who kept talking about the greater good as the stone arrived together with the rope.

She would not do it for the people who watched in clear gee as her hands and legs got bound to the stone.

She would do it for the children with tears in their eyes as their parents averted their gazes as their own grief was clear.

She would do it for the women standing in the flower field, who her soul cried out for.

She would do it for Katell whose life she had saved, who walked from the next village to be here in support.

She would do it for the people hiding under the bushes at the other riverbank, who feared they would be next.

She would do it for Nine who was hopefully halfway across the county already and would be safe.

For them Tiffany was pushed from the bridge and fell in the ice cold water, a dash of white hair the last thing she could see.

For them Tiffany felt the air leave her lungs at the shock, and feel the fear coursing through her body.

For them she drowned.

-

Author's note

I actually added some parts in this chapter, as when I finished written I remembered I needed to add plot and foreshadowing.

I hope I'll be able to manage that third chapter a week that still needs to be written. But don't get your hopes up, as I still have around 4K of HP fanfic for a contest to write.

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March 16, 2023